Baptisia

(Bap-tee-seea)

Baptisia are a graceful upright clump forming perennial with distinctive pea-like blooms over trifoliate (clover-like) foliage that can range from a dark blue-green to a light yellow-green. The species Baptisia australis has played host to creating many hybridised cultivars, a good selection of which we have here at Hare Spring Cottage Plants.

Mature plants can reach an architectural height of 1.2m and their racemes (flowering spikes) will add anywhere between 30cm and 60cm extra height, smothered in blooms from spring to summer and can number upwards of 100. Their plump seed pods are also an eye-catching feature at the end of their flowering season.

Baptisia are long-lived hardy perennials and can resemble a shrub-like appearance, but they do go completely dormant in winter. They require little maintenance – they can be cut back to the ground in autumn as they die back but we prefer to cut back in spring to leave safe spaces for overwintering insects. Either way every spring masses of new shoots will emerge and race skywards. Foliage can be lightly trimmed after flowering has finished to help maintain a good shape.

They enjoy plenty of sunshine and can tolerate some transient or dappled shade sites. A reasonable amount of moisture in their busy growing season is ideal but they do not want to be sat in cold winter wet.

Loved by butterflies, rabbit resistant and not usually bothered by deer as considered unpalatable to them.

Being prairie plants they are a perfect companion plant for our collection of Sidalcea, not only looking beautiful and elegant together but also enjoying the same type of growing conditions. Like our Sidalcea, they also make a wonderful cut flower.

Our Baptisia are supplied in 1 litre pots and grown in peat-free compost.

Enjoy browsing our selection of Baptisia.

Happy Gardening!